


Lyla

by MoosiestMoose



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Plot Twists, Surprise Ending, main character is female, relationships near end, what if
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-18
Updated: 2016-02-23
Packaged: 2018-05-21 13:17:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,060
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6052983
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MoosiestMoose/pseuds/MoosiestMoose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What if Frisk had stayed with Toriel?<br/>What if someone else went on the adventures instead?<br/>Would anything change? Or would everything?</p><p>Lyla is a 21 year old former member of the United States Air Force - forced to retire after a family crisis threw her into a mental shutdown. Now that she's better, though, she's going to find the one person that means more to her than her own life. Frisk.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Falling Down

**Author's Note:**

> Just a heads up, I see no point in repeating dialogue, so there's a lot of general gist of the conversation sorta stuff. Other than that, I hope you all enjoy! I'll be posting every day on here, FF, and my Tumblr, Moosiest-Moose.

It’d been a little over a year since my little brother disappeared. Since then my mother killed herself and my father, well, I wasn’t sure what happened to him. He just left and hasn’t been seen since. He’s still alive, though. I only knew this because of the house and major bills still being paid for and the 250 dollars a month appearing in my account which I’d been using for food for me and my cat, Bones. In that year, I tried to stay strong, but it was growing harder and harder. Then, when the money stopped coming, I grew more anxious than ever. The final straw was when I received a letter. It was from Dad. Inside the envelope was a single photo. Dad was standing with a beautiful woman and they were holding a baby. On the back, in his handwriting, was scrawled “I’m sorry, Lyla. It’s time we all moved on.” I guess I couldn’t particularly blame him, I was almost 22, I was an adult and there was no reason for him to take care of me anymore. It was that day that I decided to do what no one else would do and search for Frisk.  
So I prepared myself, packing what I could carry in an old long-term hiking bag: all season sleeping bag, lots of socks, some easy to layer clothing, a bag of cat food, a couple cans of chunky soup that I was okay with eating cold, this cool multi-use utensil (spoon on one side, fork on the other, and the fork side could be used as a knife too), and a small photo album of me and Frisk to keep me going. I also had my headphones and phone (which I just used as an MP3 player) with a couple of portable recharge packs, enough to keep me going for at least a week. Lastly came the large machete, sheathed and attached to my right boot.  
Arriving at the summit of the Mount Ebott, I looked down and into the endless chasm. My heart pounded so loud I could hear it. I picked up Bones who meowed loudly at me in protest.  
“Well, one way or another we’ll be reunited with Frisk,” I said, my voice shaking.  
Jumping, I fell.  
And fell.  
.  
..  
…  
..  
.  
And fell.  
Until I landed, forcing me to black out. I finally came to when I felt a sandpaper tongue licking my face. My eyes fluttering open and adjusting to the darkness, I saw Bones. The massive savannah-main coon mix looked at me as I sat up. Her fur was mostly black, except for her paws and her face. Her ears and nose were still black though, making her look like a little skeleton.  
“We survived…Frisk must’ve too,” I said, looking around.  
We had landed on a bed of yellow flowers. Looking up, I could barely see the hole in the mountain in which I fell. Ignoring the pure logic in my mind yelling that we should’ve died, I stood and ushered for Bones to follow as I began following the only path there was. Coming to another room, I saw a large yellow flower in the halo of what little light shone in the darkness.  
“Hello! You must be new here. I’m Flowey! Flowey the flower!” it spoke.  
The fucking flower spoke. And it kept talking but I was having a hard time focusing. I was brought back to reality when Bones started hissing, putting me immediately on the defensive, reaching for my machete.  
“Here! Have some friendship pellets!” the flower smiled and suddenly tiny orbs appeared and shot at me.  
I tried hard to dodge but I still got hit, and hard. Falling to the ground, I clutched my shoulder as it seared in pain. But suddenly, as quickly as the pain was there, it was gone, and a creature in a purple dress stood before me. The flower, Flowey, sneered at her before vanishing.  
“Are you alright?” the creature asked.  
She resembled a goat and spoke very softly and kindly. Bones rubbed against the being, purring. Taking the good signal I stood and smiled.  
“Yeah, I’m okay. I’m Lyla.”  
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Lyla. I do not normally get older humans like yourself down here. I am Toriel,” she said, so kindly and welcoming.  
Wait.  
She mentioned other humans.  
“I’m looking for my brother. Have you seen him? He has brown hair, like mine, but his skin is a little bit darker and he’s really quiet,” I immediately asked, my eyes wide.  
“…Follow me,” Toriel nodded.  
And so through the ruins we went, hurrying quickly, until we came to a quaint house where outside played a boy, no older than 7, with messy brown hair and a striped shirt. I could feel the tears roll down the cheeks.  
“FRISK!” I shouted, running towards him.  
Looking up, he grinned widely, jumping up from his toys. We threw our arms around each other in a tight hug.  
“Frisk, I missed you so much,” I sobbed, petting and kissing the top of his head.  
Toriel approached us with Bones.  
“Toriel, thank you for taking care of Frisk,” I grinned, looking up at her but never letting go of my dear little brother.  
“He has been wonderful to have,” Toriel nodded, petting Frisk’s hair softly, like a loving mother would.  
“I’m just so happy he’s safe…and happy. So much happier than he’d be back home…” biting my lip, I thought of the train wreck that was our home now. “Toriel, tell me, are the legends true? Is there an entire city of monsters here?”  
“Huh? Oh, yes. There is, but humans are not allowed. In fact, they are hunted…That is why I’ve kept Frisk here, in the Ruins with myself. It was for his protection…” Toriel nodded, the worry clearly showing on her features.  
“Why?” I asked, but I instantly remembered the legends we studied in middle school, “The barrier. Someone is trying to destroy it, aren’t they?”  
“Yes, unfortunately,” Toriel said with another nod.  
“Wh-what if I convince them not to?” I said, determination filling my heart.  
I wanted to find a new place, a safe and happy place, to call home for me and Frisk.  
“What do you mean?” Toriel asked, surprised by my suggestion.  
“The world up there, on the surface, it’s horrid. The four horsemen of the apocalypse may as well be running around. War, famine, pestilence, death…it’s all there. Then there are the people…they’re selfish, every last one of them,” I felt the hate and bitterness in my words, “I want Frisk to be safe, to have friends and to be able to grow up and be happy and healthy. Whatever is down here, in the underground, it can’t be anywhere near as terrible as what’s up there. If I can convince whomever is trying to break the barrier that it’s best to stay down here, maybe, just maybe, we can all live peacefully. I-I have to at least try!”  
Toriel was in shock, staring at me for a long moment before calming down lightly.  
“His name is Asgore. He is the king. You will have to get to him to stop the war against the humans. If you can get to him, I hope…no, I know that you can convince him to stop his plan,” she nodded, a gentle smile gracing her face, “I will show you to the door.”  
And so I followed Toriel to the door that separated the Ruins from the rest of the underground, Frisk holding onto my hand the entire time.  
“Lyla, I’m going to miss you…” he said, looking up at me.  
“I’ll miss you too, but I have to do this,” I said, looking down at him, “I want you to promise me you’ll continue to be good to Toriel, okay?”  
“Yeah, I promise,” Frisk nodded, squeezing my hand.  
I smiled at him.  
“Here we are,” Toriel spoke, stopping at a large set of doors.  
“Thanks, Toriel. I’ll be back when my job is done,” I nodded.  
“Please do be safe.”  
“I will. Thank you again,” I turned to Frisk and hugged him tightly.  
“I love you Lyla…” he said, hugging me back.  
“I love you too, Frisk,” I held back my tears, letting go of my dear brother.  
Stopping right at the doors, I took a deep breath and looked at Bones who’d been following close behind. She let out a light chitter. With a nod to her, I opened the doors and entered the Underground.


	2. Snowdin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lyla and Bones find themselves in Snowdin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good morning! Well, it's morning as I post this. Anyhoot, comments and kudos are still appreciated! owo  
> I'd also like to note that for some reason the "At End Notes" from last chapter are showing up on this chapter aw well? Is that a thing for anyone else? Hm...

_Lyla, you had so much promise. Why would you throw it all away?_  
I’d been walking for a while through the dense snowy forest. The wind had a bite to it making me grateful I had worn my jacket. It didn’t do much for keeping me warm but it at least broke the sting of the wind. As I walked, my mind wandered. I didn’t like being alone with my thoughts, to be honest, since bad memories had a tendency to resurface.  
I was brought out of those thoughts though as I felt someone behind me and Bones. Stopping at a bridge, I waited. Whoever it was, they got closer. And closer. Until finally they were right behind me. Bones and I were both on guard for whoever or whatever it may be.  
“Hey friend. Don’t you know how to greet someone?” a voice came.  
Turning around, I came face to face…well, face to chest, with a short skeleton in a blue hooded jacket. Reaching out his hand, he wore a large grin plastered across his face. It was an odd grin and I wasn’t sure if I could trust this skeleton or not. Taking his hand to shake, I was greeted with a loud farting noise.  
“Hah! The ole whoopee cushion in the hand trick,” the skeleton laughed.  
Stunned, I blinked a few times before bursting out into laughter.  
“The hell, dude? Scared me. I thought you were some sorta axe murder what with the way you were creepin’ up on me!” I laughed, brushing my long brown hair out of my face.  
“Heh, sorry, bro. I’ll keep that in mind. I’m Sans, by the way. Sans the skeleton.”  
“I’m Lyla. Lyla Hart.”  
“So what’s a human like you doing around here?”  
“Hm? I’m going to go talk to Asgore. I need to convince him not to destroy the barrier.”  
“Why?”  
“Honestly, because the world up there sucks,” I said point-blank.  
“Well, if you wanna get to Asgore, you’re gonna have to get past my brother. He’s a human hunting /fanatic/,” Sans said with a shrug, “But for now, just head past this gate. My brother made it too wide to stop anybody.”  
With a shrug of my own I went through the gate. Finally we came to a clearing, Bones sniffing a random snowman that was roughly my height.  
“Papyrus is coming. Go stand behind that convenient snowman,” Sans said.  
Doing as suggested, I stood behind the snowman, listening in as Sans and another voice talked. Stifling the urge to boo Sans’ puns, I finally came out from behind the snowman once Papyrus was gone.  
“You should probably get going, before he returns. If you don’t, you’ll have to listen to more of my hilarious jokes,” Sans grinned.  
“Well, I hope we’ll run into each other again, Sans,” I smiled.  
Bones rubbed against the skeleton, purring.  
“Heh, Bones says she hopes the same,” I added.  
With a light laugh from both of us, I continued on my adventure.  
On my way I met many dogs, much to Bone’s disgruntlement, and found quickly that the best way to get past them was pretty much to give them all pets and love. Finally, though, I came to a tiny town, Snowdin. According to my mp3’s internal clock it was getting late, and I could feel it. Slipping into the Inn, I shivered, noticing more thoroughly how cold I was now that I was in the warmth.  
“How much for a room?” I asked the bunny lady at the desk.  
“80G,” she smiled.  
A smaller bunny girl, possibly her daughter, stared at me from beyond the counter. Smiling back I waved lightly at her, eliciting a happy smile.  
Pulling out all the G I had, I quickly counted it, giving her the 80 and leaving me with just barely 40 let.  
“Have a lovely stay,” the bunny lady said, handing me a room key.  
Shoving my bag into the corner of the room, I crashed on the bed and fell asleep almost immediately.  
…  
When I awoke in the morning, I took the opportunity to change into some warmer clothes, the regret deep from spending the entire day in just leggings, boots, a tshirt, and my old beat up jacket. Slipping on a pair of thicker skinny jeans, a heavy sweater, and thick socks, I put on my boots and jacket over and was ready to take on the day. I was very grateful for my combat boots- and no, not those crappy ones from the goth store in the mall. No, these were my military issued boots and I could walk for days and not be phased. Grabbing my bag and putting it securely on my back, I ushered for Bones to follow me. Obliging, the large, dog sized cat followed after me, purring happily. I returned the key and promptly left the Inn, stepping out into the snow covered town. Making my way East, I found myself outside a house with two mail boxes. One was stuffed to the rim and the other empty. With a shrug, I continued on. Suddenly, though, a heavy fog shrouded my surroundings.  
“Human, there is must be many emotions you are going through,” I heard Papyrus speak.  
Squinting I could only make out his silhouette. He kinda reminded me of the kid with Asperger’s syndrome that I went to school with. Though I didn’t much care for the kid – he tended to say racist things – Papyrus was pleasant to talk to. I liked making him happy, so I found myself lying and saying things like “Yeah, I ate all that spaghetti!” even though it was a frozen brick.  
“To find a fellow pasta lover and puzzle enthusiast, this can spark a great feeling of wanting to be friends with someone so cool,” he continued.  
“So I, the GREAT Papyrus, will…no, we can’t. I cannot be your friend, as much as you may want me to! I am sorry, Lyla-human, but I must capture you!”  
The fog let up suddenly, just enough for me to make out the tall skeleton just a little better. Bones started to puff up.  
“Down girl. I got this,” I comforted her, setting my bag down.  
“Okay, dude, but I ain’t goin’ down without a fight,” I smirked, going into a fighting position.  
“As you shouldn’t!” Papyrus nodded.  
It crossed my mind briefly to grab my machete, but I just as quickly decided I didn’t want to hurt him. And so I waited for him to make the first move…and I waited…and waited.  
“Aren’t you going to attack me?” I asked, shifting my weight from one foot to the other.  
“Yes! Of course!” Papyrus nodded and started throwing blue bones at me.  
I didn’t move. The blue magic, I remembered, only would affect me if I moved. When the attack was over, I tried not to look at Papyrus with pity, but was hard to mask. That is until I noticed I started glowing blue and my movement slowed drastically.  
“Wh-what did you do!?” I gasped.  
“NYEHEHEHEH! You are now BLUE!” he said proudly.  
“Heh, so this is going to be interesting,” I smirked, slowly making my way towards him, “You’re a pretty clever fighter, Papyrus.”  
Papyrus’s eye sockets widened.  
“Y-you really think that? Well, perhaps we should go on a date then! Two great fighters! Yes! Wait…No! Now we must fight! But I will happily go on a date with you when we are done!” he grinned widely.  
“Wait…what? Uh, okay,” I was stunned.  
Did he really think I was flirting with him or something? It was just a light compliment…Whatever. I’d have to tackle that beast later. Right now, it was time to fight. Finally, I reached Papyrus, reared my arm back and brought it around, punching him square in the face. He stumbled back, clutching the area I hit.  
“Wow! You too are a fantastic fighter, Lyla!” Papyrus laughed before bringing a bone around to hit me. I couldn’t run to dodge it, and he was going for me legs, so I jumped! Surprisingly I could still jump pretty easily. Taking the chance I had while in the air, I brought my leg out, kicking Papyrus in the chest. The force threw him back slightly. Landing, I took a solid stance, ready to take on whatever else he had. We kept fighting, sharing friendly banter as we did so, until we were both fairly battered, Papyrus more so than myself.  
“Ah! Human! I do believe we are quite even! I propose a truce!” he offered, breathing heavily (though how I wasn’t sure?).  
“Yeah, sure. Truce,” I nodded, laughing lightly. I knew I could easily kick his butt and win, but I didn’t want to do that to him.  
The blue glow went away, allowing me to move easily again.  
“So, human, if you are ever up for that date, feel free to meet me at my house,” Papyrus winked at me before leaving back towards Snowdin.  
Taking a second to breathe, I grabbed my bag and continued East with Bones. Walking along, I spotted a sentry station, Sans standing behind it. Spotting me, he gave a light wave. I approached him.  
“Hey,” I gave him a light smile, leaning against the station, “Whachu doin’ here?”  
“Hm? What, a guy can’t have two jobs?”  
I gave a light shrug, unsure of how to respond.  
“Hey, you look pretty tired. Wanna get something to eat? It might help you feel better,” Sans offered.  
“Uh, yeah, sure,” I nodded, not realizing I looked as tired as I felt.  
That fight with Papyrus had really taken a lot out of me.  
“I know a shortcut. Follow me,” Sans said, leaving his station.  
I followed, finding myself at Grillby’s before I even knew it.  
“Woah,” I looked around, baffled how going East landed us West? I quickly pushed the thought away, figuring it was magic.  
Sitting at the bar, I ordered a burger and a glass of scotch on the rocks. When the food arrived, I quickly dove into the burger, beyond happy to be eating hot food. Sans sat in silence for about half my burger before speaking up.  
“So, what do you think of Papyrus? Isn’t he cool?” he asked.  
I swallowed and thought for a moment.  
“He’s not my definition of cool, to be honest, but he is very sweet and friendly,” I nodded, “A bit naïve, but that isn’t always a bad thing. Overall I’d say he’s a really nice guy. 10/10 would befriend.”  
“I’m glad you think that,” Sans nodded.  
Taking a drink of my scotch, the warm burn as I swallowed somehow comforting.  
“Hey, have you ever heard of talking flowers?” Sans spoke again.  
I took a bite of my burger, thinking back on Flowey.  
“They’re assholes,” I said bluntly.  
Sans nodded, staying silent for a moment before telling me about how Papyrus had been talking to a flower and he suspected it was an Echo flower that someone was using to play a trick on him. I wasn’t sure how to explain the flower I had encountered when I first got here. Before I got the chance to, though, Sans got off the stool. I quickly finished my burger and scotch before getting up as well.  
“Hey, Grillby, put it on my tab,” is all Sans said before leaving without another word.  
“There’s something deeper going on here,” I muttered to myself, patting Bone’s head. She seemed to sense it as well.  
Leaving the pub, I made my way back East, spotting Papyrus.  
“Well, I guess I might as well do that date. Who knows when I’ll be back,” I said to myself.


	3. Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Date with Papyrus, being attacked by Undyne, and hanging with Napstablook - Lyla advances further but makes friends on her way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I did some minor editing and ended up with some new statistics and they make me a very happy Moose.  
> 30 Pages - 13000 Words Exact

My date with Papyrus was interesting to say the least. I mostly just rolled with everything that happened, though I did find relief at the end when he decided we should just be friends. After he put his number in my phone, I was back on my way out of Snowdin. The distant sound of rushing water followed by the slight warming of my surroundings made me wonder how many biomes were in the underground and how drastic they were. Luckily this area still had a chill to it so I didn’t feel the need to remove any layers.  
Shifting through some tall grass, I overheard Papyrus talking to someone. What little I overheard made my heart instantly begin pounding in my chest. So that’s Undyne, I took note of the tall figure in foreboding armor. Once Papyrus left, I waited a moment before trying to move through the grass. This seemed to catch Undyne’s attention, though, and before I knew it, a magic spear was in front of me. Covering my mouth, I kept from screaming. After a moment, though, the spear and Undyne both vanished. Letting out a shaking breath, I left the grass. Hearing shuffling behind me, though, I turned to see the armless monster child from Snowdin.  
“Wow! She looked right at you! Man, if I were a human, I’d be wetting my bed every night knowing Undyne was after me,” he laughed.  
This kid clearly didn’t know I was a human, so I just smiled and nodded, unable to find my voice. He ran ahead of me, tripping onto his face at least once in the process. Continuing through the area that I learned was called Waterfall, I had a few more run-ins with Undyne. Bones and I both narrowly avoided them all, but I was starting to feel a deep regret for having my dear cat with me. I wondered if I should’ve left her with someone? Finally in what seemed to be a safe corner, away from Undyne’s attacks, I crouched down and pet Bones.  
“Hey, go to Sans and Papyrus in Snowdin. I want you to stay with them for a while. I don’t feel comfortable with you here,” I instructed her.  
Letting out a meow and brushing against me, she did as I asked and started bounding for Snowdin. Once she was gone, I called up Papyrus.  
“Hello friend! What can I do for you?” he asked.  
“Hey, I’m sending my cat your way. She’s pretty easy to take care of, just feed her some chicken or fish twice a day. I just…I need a safe place for her to stay for a while…” I told him, getting straight to the point. I could feel the shaking in my voice as I spoke.  
“Uh, yeah, okay! Sans and I will take good care of Bones!” he responded.  
Hanging up, I continued onto my path. Almost going at full sprint, or at least as full sprint as I could go with the bag on my back, I barely dodged Undyne’s spears, a few grazing me but not injuring me severely. I thought I was safe until I came to a dead end. Breathing heavily, I turned and slowly made my way back towards where Undyne was, mentally preparing myself to run again.  
But there she was, waiting for me.  
“I…I don’t want to fight you, Undyne,” I said, slowly reaching for my machete, “But I will if I have to!”  
Before I could grab the large knife strapped to my boot, I found myself plummeting into the darkness again. All was black.  
…  
I woke up to find myself on a platform, covered in yellow flowers.  
“Weird,” I muttered, noting that this was the second time a pile of yellow flowers had saved me.  
Surveying my surroundings, I quickly realized my bag had broken open and most everything I had had washed away. With a hushed curse I stood and removed my bag completely, not bothering with it at this point other than my phone and headphones. Putting them on, I turned on some music and sat on the platform, taking a moment to breathe and assess my situation.  
Misery Loves Company by Emilie Autumn blared into my ears. Standing on the platform, I closed my eyes and began to dance and sing to the song. Opening my eyes, I dashed into the knee-high water and as quickly as I could I waded through it, the music fueling me. Music had always been my passion and if I hadn’t joined the Air Force I knew I would’ve loved to be a performer. Finally on dry land, the song came to an end and I stopped to breathe. Reading a sign, I noted that the Blook family had a farm up ahead. Why did that sound familiar? Looking over, I instantly remembered when I saw a familiar ghost. Napstablook. I had run into him with Toriel.  
“Hey!” I smiled, removing the headphones from my ears.  
“Oh, uh, hi…Um, are you following me?” he asked shyly.  
“Huh? Er, I don’t think so? I kinda just landed here,” I shrugged.  
“Oh, okay...Well, um, if you wanna hang out, my place is just North of here. I’m gonna head there now. Yeah, you don’t have to come over though, it’s just an offer...” he said before leaving.  
“Poor dude,” I frowned, immediately deciding to go and hang out with him. I could use the break and he needed some cheering up.  
Heading North I saw two houses; one blue and the other pink. Trying the pink one first, the door was locked, so I stepped over to the blue, entering with ease.  
“Hey,” I grinned, surprising Napstablook.  
“Oh, you decided to come over. I wasn’t expecting that. Um, I don’t really have much to do…Would you like to listen to some music?”  
“Hm? Yeah! Sure,” I nodded.  
Sitting on the floor of his house, the two of us listened to a variety of music, most of which was Napstablook’s own mixes.  
“Hey, um, I didn’t wanna say anything but…um, I heard you singing earlier…You’re pretty good. Um, would you like to maybe jam…? You don’t have-“ Napstablook seemed flustered as he spoke.  
“Yeah! I’d love to!” I grinned, “Any songs you have in mind? Did you write one?”  
“Oh! Um, I don’t have anything with any lyrics yet. Um, do you know Bulletproof by La Roux?”  
With a nod, I stood. Napstablook started playing the song and I began to sing. We both improvised a bit, making the song our own. The music flowed through me as I grinned from ear to ear, dancing as I sang. I could feel Napstablook warming up pretty quickly. When the song ended, I found myself laughing from the pure fun I was having.  
“Hey, um, I know you still have a lot to do, but um, I can give you my number if you ever wanna jam again?” the ghost offered.  
“That’d be great,” I agreed.  
Giving me his number, I left shortly after and proceeded to head East.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos are liked, Comments are loved  
> Um, yeah  
> I'll be posting a picture of Lyla on my art tumblr account later, probably today, so check MooseArt if you wanna see what she looks like? Yeah owo


	4. Frustration

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tems, Undyne, Alphys, and outshining a star - this is frustrating, but...somehow it's starting to get normal.

I finally made my way out of the crystal lit cavern, only to find myself in what I could only assume was Tem Village. Figuring it was a good chance to take a break, I stopped in the shop. Looking at the very odd list of what Temmie had to offer, most of which was Temmie Flakes, I noticed the option to send Temmie to college, though it was very badly spelt. Counting the G I had gotten from a friendly bunch of monsters on my travels, I slid the 1000G foward, I gave her a friendly smile.  
The Temmie flipped out, thanking me. I turned to leave, until I saw her return only moments later with a graduation cap. Befuddled, I watched as the Temmie added a new item to the list.  
“Temy Armor?” I asked, quickly counting what I had left, “I’ll be back for that.”  
And with that, I left the village, finally making my way through the caverns, finding myself at a bridge. Crossing it, I came to the monster child.  
“Hey, um, Undyne told me you’re the human everyone’s been looking for. So, uh, I guess that makes us enemies?” he spoke.  
“And why is that?” I asked, crouching to get eye level with him.  
“Well, uh, I don’t know? I guess monsters and humans just can’t be friends?” he asked.  
“I don’t see why it has to be that way, dear. Humans and monsters can get along. I believe it in my heart,” I smiled, petting his head.  
“You really think so?” he looked at me with bright eyes.  
“I know so,” I gave a gentle laugh.  
“Yeah! Well, I better get going! My parents are probably worried sick!” he grinned  
“I can guarantee you they are,” I nodded, letting him pass me.  
I started east again until I heard a yell. Turning, I felt my heart jump to my throat. The kid had tripped and was barely hanging onto the edge of the bridge. And of course at the end of the bridge, Undyne stepped up. Ignoring the armor clad killer, I sprinted to the monster boy and helped him back up.  
“Are you okay?” I asked, checking him.  
“Y-yeah. I’m fine,” he nodded before turning to Undyne, “Hey! Leave her alone! Lyla is really awesome and kind!”  
Undyne stood there for a moment before turning and leaving. My heart pounded in my ears.  
“Please go home to your parents,” I said, petting the head of the monster boy.  
With a nod, he headed back west towards Snowdin. Giving myself a moment to get my heart to calm down, I took a deep breath and headed east. I seemed to be clear of Undyne for the moment. Or so I thought…  
“HEY!” shouted a voice from the top of a cavern.  
Removing her helmet, it was Undyne. She was actually quite pretty, dark blue scales and a long red ponytail. I listened patiently as she went on a small monologue.  
“GET READY!” she shouted, jumping down and attacking me.  
Barely dodging her attack, she waved her spear and I glowed green. With the green came a shield on my right arm.  
“Fascinating,” I muttered, shooting up and blocking the onslaught of spears thrown at me with the shield.  
“Very good, but I won’t go easy on you from here!” Undyne smirked, throwing more spears at me.  
Blocking them, one after another, I grew slightly frustrated, “Damnit, Undyne! I don’t want to fight you!”  
It didn’t do anything of course as she continued to plummet me with arrows.  
“UNDYNE! We can be FRIENDS!” I shouted at her as I dodged another round of attacks.  
The attacks stopped for a moment and Undyne seemed to have been struck by what I said as I suddenly turned normal again. Taking the opportunity I sprinted past her, running away. I had a deep feeling I wasn’t going to be able to beat her, not that I wanted to, but I had a deeper feeling she wasn’t going to give up so easily. Every time she would capture me, before she could turn me green again, I’d slip away and run. Suddenly, though, I was boiling in my sweater. Looking around, I saw Sans at a sentry station, and ahead of that was a bridge overhanging lava.  
“Well that explains the heat,” I huffed, trying to keep my speed despite feeling overheated, “Hey Sans!” I called as I ran past him, though he seemed to be asleep.  
Finally past the bridge, I noticed a water cooler. Water sounded fantastic right now... I started feeling light headed. Hearing the heavy footsteps of Undyne behind me, I turned and watched as she approached me.  
“Armor...too…hot…”she huffed, falling at my feet from heat exhaustion.  
“Shit,” I cursed, quickly getting two cups of water from the weird water cooler.  
Chugging one on my way over to her, I kneeled down and carefully helped her drink from the other cup. She seemed to bounce back pretty quickly. Standing, she stared at me dead in the eyes for a good long minute before turning away.  
Suddenly, my phone rang, playing the Sailor Moon theme song instrumental. It was Papyrus. Sliding my thumb across the screen, I brought it to my ear.  
“Hey! Lyla, I was thinking! You, me, and Undyne should get together some time! It’ll be fun!” he said, and before I could reject, he hung up.  
I couldn’t help but laugh at that. Clicking my phone closed I shoved it back into my pocket and headed deeper into the lava hell. Soon a large lab came into view, and seeing as two large guards were blocking my path I decided it was probably best to try out the lab.

As I approached the lab, though, I noticed a path leading south. Though going east had proven to be the way to go, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to try the southern route. It led me to a river where a hooded figure stood on a strange boat.  
The figure, in a bit of a melodic tone, asked if I wanted to go anywhere with them. This made me think back to Papyrus saying I should hang with him and Undyne.  
“I must be crazy,” I laughed slightly at myself before accepting the invitation from the hooded stranger.  
Showing up in Waterfall, I headed towards Undyne’s house, remembering Napstablook having mentioned her being his neighbor at one point. Papyrus was waiting patiently outside the large fishlike house.  
“Hey,” I smiled at him as I approached.  
“Ah! You made it! Here, give her this! She loves these,” Papyrus handed me a golden colored bone.  
“Uh, okay,” I nodded and before I knew it, I was in Undyne’s house and Papyrus had jumped out the window.  
After a little chaos, I was now sitting, drinking some tea while Undyne talked.  
“I guess if you wanna go home you can always just ask Asgore,” she said.  
“Wait, what? I don’t want to go home! I want to make this place like a home for me and my brother, Frisk…or that was the plan. I’ve talked to so many monsters and…Undyne, is the overcrowding really that bad?” I asked, fidgeting with the cup.  
“Brother? Hm...yeah, it’s pretty bad. And we’ve never seen the sun before, which sucks. We just have the fake lighting from the crystals above,” Undyne nodded.  
“Oh. Hey, Undyne…maybe I won’t try to stop Asgore’s plan, I don’t know…but I do know I don’t want a war against the humans to start. I’ve seen war. It’s…it’s not good. It’s just death and destruction. If I can help Asgore break the barrier, I will, but I don’t want a monster on human war starting, okay?” I looked from my cup and back up to Undyne.  
“Huh, alright, Human. That sounds like a plan,” she nodded.  
“Cool. Oh, and my name is Lyla,” I smiled softly.  
“Hey, can I ask you a question now?” Undyne asked.  
“Go for it,” I nodded.  
“Are you a knight of some sort?”  
Her question caught me off guard a bit.  
“Uh, yeah, I guess. Up there, we use the word soldier. I was a member of a branch of the human military called the Air Force…I was forced to retire though, after I had a mental breakdown when Frisk went missing. After my life fell apart I decided to find him, starting at the mountain where we would play, before I left to join said air force…and well, that’s how I ended up here,” I looked back down at my cup, “I want a good life for Frisk. He’s more important to me than anything, even myself.”  
Looking back up, Undyne seemed to be in shock. She muttered something about Papyrus before jumping up and yelling something about his training and how I’d have to take his place. Next thing I know we’re standing outside her house as it burns to the ground.  
“So if you need me, just call Papyrus,” she said before leaving.  
Staring at the house in shock, I took a minute before pulling myself away.  
“This has been one hell of an adventure,” I muttered before going back to the cloaked figure and having him take me back to Hotland.  
Once there, I went into the lab. The lights were off and it was difficult for my eyes to adjust. As I passed the only source of light, a large screen, I felt my feet come to a halt. Looking up at the screen, I felt thoroughly creeped out; up on the screen was me, in real time.  
“That’s just wrong,” I frowned, continuing out of the lab as quickly as I could, only to come to another halt as a figure exited a room and clicked on the lights.  
Before me was a short, yellow dinosaur. As soon as she saw me, she became flustered, muttering to herself about how she wasn’t prepared. Once she calmed herself, she introduced herself as Alphys and started gushing about how she had followed me on my adventures through the underground, watching me on the screen and cheering me on. I was thoroughly disturbed by this, but did my best to stay polite. She then told me about a robot she invented, my gut tightening as she explained how it had malfunctioned and became a killing machine. Suddenly, there was a series of loud bangs that shook the room.  
“Shit,” I cursed as a boxlike robot burst through the wall.  
“Hellooooo~ ladies and gentlemen! And welcome to today’s quiz show!” he announced, the lights on him flashing excitedly.  
“Oh double shit,” I cursed again.  
“Now now, watch your language. This is a family show,” the robot, Mettaton, scolded.  
“Eat a dick,” I hissed.  
Despite his lack of a face, I could feel Mettaton glaring at me before continuing on with the show. I answered all the questions, some on my own, but most with the help of Alphys, who signaled to me the answers with her hands. Mettaton seemed to catch on though as he asked a strange question about some anime, sending Alphys into a frantic gushing about it. I couldn’t help but sigh in heavy annoyance.  
“Last question; who does Alphys have a crush on?” Mettaton asked and listed off the options.  
I looked at Alphys for a moment before blurting out, “Undyne…you like Undyne? Can’t blame you there. I always had a thing for strong chicks too.”  
This threw Alphys into an embarrassed fit, hiding her face as Mettaton lowkey mocked her. I kinda felt bad for her at this point.  
“Hey, leave her alone,” I stepped towards the robot, “So she has a crush? So what? Everyone gets those at some point in their life. You know, unless they’re too self-involved to notice anyone else around them.”  
Once again, I felt that if he could, Mettaton would be glaring daggers at me. Hugging the reptilian scientist, I gently comforted her as she tried to regain herself.  
“Well, that’s all the time we have, folks! But remember, this is just the pilot and there’s much more ahead! Drama! Romance! BLOODSHED! Stay tuned!” Mettaton said, keeping his gameshow persona going before flying off.  
“This place is a madhouse,” I muttered as he broke through the ceiling.  
Turning my attention back to Alphys, I gave her a gentle smile, which she returned.  
“Um, here, let me give you my number,” she said.  
I handed her my phone, a little iPhone4, which she immediately gasped at, calling it outdated, before leaving with it. When she came back, it certainly looked sleeker and updated, but I felt slightly invaded. I loved my phone…  
“Um, thanks. Hey, before I leave, do you have somewhere I can change out of this sweater?” I asked.  
“Uh, um, sure, you can use the upstairs,” Alphys nodded.  
Nodding myself, I went up the escalator and slipped into the corner, taking off my sweater and my sweat-soaked compression sports bra. My chest wasn’t going to be happy with me without some sort of support, but I wans’t going to walk around with a sweaty bra on. I’d chafe! Replacing my undershirt and my jacket, I wadded up my sweater and bra together, trying to decide what to do with them. Heading down the escalator on the other side, I walked up to Alphys.  
“Hey, I’m not sure what to do with this?” I said, feeling a bit awkward.  
“Oh, um, I’ll put it in my hamper and wash it for you, um, for n-next time you visit?” Alphys offered.  
“Uh, sure,” I nodded, handing them to her before leaving the lab.  
Once out, my phone started blowing up with updates from Alphys on that social site she signed me up for.  
“This better not use up data…and I better not get roaming charges! Fuck!” I groaned, just realizing that being underground may not be covered?  
With a sigh, I continued on, solving the puzzles with relative ease, Alphys lending her hand where she could. Before I knew it, I was in pitch black darkness.  
“Don’t worry, I’ll turn on the lights!” Alphys said.  
“Thanks,” I responded before hanging up.  
Soon the lights were on and I…was in a kitchen? No. It was the set of a cooking show, and next to me was Mettaton in a chef hat. Okay, I could do this. Mom had always said if I weren’t such a screw-up I’d have made an excellent housewife…I really didn’t take that as a compliment, but it was the closest I ever got.  
“Assistant, please get me the ingredients for our cake! We need milk, eggs, and sugar,” Mettaton instructed.  
“That all? What about the flour? And what kinda cake are we making anyway? Yellow? Chocolate? Red velvet? Do you even know what you’re doing?” I questioned immediately.  
“Uh, um,” Mettaton seemed taken aback by my outburst.  
“You know what, I’m the star now, since you don’t know shit. Assistant, we’re going to need eggs, sugar, milk, flour, shortening, baking powder, salt, and vanilla extract,” I said, grabbing the apron hanging from the wall and putting it on.  
“Wh-WHAT!? You are not the star, I am,” Mettaton looked like he was going to blow a circuit.  
“Your viewers are waiting, Mettaton. They want to know how to bake a cake, not a disappointment like you were planning,” hands on my hips, I watched as the robot quickly gathered the ingredients.  
“Okay, lovelies, today we’re making a simple yellow cake. First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit…” I went on to bake a cake, all from memory.  
Once the cake was in the oven, a befuddled Mettaton finally spoke up.  
“Yes, well, we were going to make human cake,” he said.  
“Cake doesn’t have flesh in it. If you wanted that you should’ve made something like a shepherd’s pie,” I said, taking off the apron and handing it to him, “Now if you will excuse me, I got shit to do. I already set the timer for 40 minutes. Take it out and let it cool before removing it from the pan and icing it.”


	5. Stardom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Outshining the star once again.

Leaving the stage and a very annoyed robot, I kept going. Looking out into the distance, I see a large structure. As I stop to take in the sight, my phone rings again. Answering it, Alphys told me how we wouldn’t have to worry about Mettaton and that she’d try and protect me from here on out. Honestly, I was more than a little suspicious of her and Mettaton. The way he was “attacking” me was more harmless than anything? But I continued to play along, figuring the truth would be shown soon enough. After getting a questionable hot dog from Sans, I solved some puzzles, helped a lovely couple express their feelings for each other, and was up in an elevator pretty swiftly. Walking along the paths, I soon came to another spider bakesale. I remembered the one in the ruins; Toriel and I stopped and I got myself a doughnut, figuring it didn’t hurt to support the spiders. After all, spiders were considered good luck in many cultures, and they did get rid of more unpleasant bugs up on the surface! Looking at the wares, I felt myself cringe. Why were these goods so poorly made? And so expensive? With a smile and a shrug, I continued towards the core. Solving another puzzle, I soon found myself in a room filled with cobwebs. Carefully avoiding the first couple, I soon found myself sticking to a large web.  
“I heard humans are very stingy with their money!” the large spider girl from before appeared, surrounded my many other spider.  
“Hey! Your goods were poorly made and overpriced! Besides, I already helped the spiders in the ruins! So no calling me stingy!” I barked at her, annoyed that I was trapped.  
“Oh, sure, they all say that,” the spider, Muffet, giggled.  
With a wave of one of her hands, I was glowing violet. Cursing under my breath, I dodged the attacks thrown at me with limited movement. Sure, I probably could’ve just hacked my way out with my machete, but I was trying to be kind here, to make friends and not enemies! Just as I felt like I was on my last leg of energy, a spider with a note scurried up to Muffet.  
“Oh? What’s this? Oh! So you were telling the truth about the ruins… My dearest apologies,” she smiled, waving her hand again.  
I was back to normal.  
“Yeah, well…yeah!” I huffed.  
“Do come again!” she waved after me as I left.  
Looking at the poster on the wall of the next room I couldn’t help but let out a loud groan. I continued on though. The lights dimmed and a spotlight shined down on me, a second spotlight shined on the balcony above as well. Mettaton, wearing a blue dress, began to sing as he descended the stairs. As he sang, I readied myself for anything and everything. The second he said dungeon, I jumped, avoiding the trap door. Grabbing Mettaton into my arms, I began to speak as dramatically as I could.  
“Mettaton, my love! Yes, the king wants my human soul, but that cannot mean our love will not live on!” I spoke, unzipping my jacket and flinging it open.  
My undershirt clung tightly to me, and especially to my 36HH’s. Mettaton began stammering.  
“Wh-what are you doing!?” he demanded.  
“What? Mettaton, am…am I too much /woman/ for you?” I gasped, feigning a half swoon, “If you cannot love me, then I must submit to the dungeon.”  
And with that, I jumped into the trap door. Landing, I looked ahead and saw the colored tile trap. Before Mettaton could even do any shpeal, I started sprinting through the trap, but soon found myself cornered and unsure of which direction to go. A very angry Mettaton hovered in front of me, flames soon surrounding me. Before I knew it, though the flames were gone and Alphys was calling me.  
“I-I broke into the firewall for you! You should be safe now!” she told me.  
“Oh, thanks,” I smiled, though something told me I wasn’t in any danger to begin with.  
“You may have ran ahead, and the amazing Dr. Alphys may have destroyed my firewall, but I’m assuming you remembered that green tiles are supposed to summon a monster, yes?” he asked.  
“Yep. I was kinda curious about that,” I nodded as calmly as I could, trying to keep an uncaring look about myself.  
“Well /I/ am that monster,” he said dramatically.  
“Cool story bro,” I shrugged.  
“Lyla, use your phone! J-just press the new button, the yellow one!” Alphys told me.  
“Uh, okay” I shrugged again, doing what she suggested.  
Yellow magical bullets shot out of my phone when I pressed the yellow button, making me stop for a moment before continuing to press it repeatedly.  
“Oh no! You have defeated me! All thanks, once again, to the fabulous Dr. Alphys! We will meet again, etc. etc.!” Mettaton spoke in a way that I was positive there was something going on.  
Putting my phone back to my ear, I encouraged Alphys, though I really didn’t much want to. To my surprise, she started telling me how she saw herself as a failure of sorts. It hit home pretty hard.  
“Don’t worry, Alphys. You’re not a failure. No one is. Just…just keep trying your hardest, and you’ll succeed,” I told her.  
“Th-thank you, Lyla,” she said before hanging up.  
Entering the next area, I saw Sans standing outside what must’ve been MTT Resort. He invited me to eat, which I obliged, zipping my jacket back up as we somehow ended up in the restaurant, at a table. Sans started talking, and I listened patiently, wondering if everything was okay. When he borderline threatened me, though, I knew there was something wrong. As he got up to leave, I stopped him.  
“You know, they say that those that are the saddest try their hardest to make others laugh and smile. I think it’s because they don’t want anyone else ever feeling the way they do…” I told him, looking down briefly before looking up again, “I also heard that coral dies when it gets stressed.”  
“Wh-what does coral get stressed about?” Sans asked, surprised by the strange change of subject.  
“Current events,” I said with a light smile and a shrug.  
We both shared a solemn laugh before Sans finally left. Getting up from the table, I found my way out and in the lobby of what could only be the MTT Resort, judging by the very impractical fountain of Mettaton.  
As I left the resort, I finally got the idea to use my headphones, which had a built-in mic, to take the constant calls I got from Alphys without having to stop. After a few, well, more than a few miscalculations on Alphys’ part, she hung up, leaving me in silence as I interacted with the monsters. Taking advantage of the silence, I turned on my music, dancing my way through the monsters until I finally made it to a switch. Flipping it, I danced back to the blockade and followed the paths. Finally I came to an elevator, though it still didn’t go to the castle. My only option left was the rather interestingly decorated doorway. Entering, there was Mettaton, who began to tell me how everything Alphys told me was a lie. Lowering my headphones to around my neck, I swiftly interrupted his speech.  
“I know,” I said, crossing my arms.  
“Wait, you knew?”  
“I’m not stupid, Mettaton. I’m guessing these bullets don’t exactly work on you either,” I said, holding up my phone, “But I know what it’s like to be a failure. It led to a lot of my life mistakes. From joining the Air Force instead of going to college to study theater to…well, I’ve made a lot of mistakes. I don’t regret one of them though, since it helped me grow into the person I am today. Alphys just hasn’t figured that out yet. I’ll help her, though, until she does.”  
“Hey, who locked this door?” I overheard Alphys’ voice.  
“It’s okay, Doll. We’re in here. I’m safe,” I called back.  
Suddenly my phone rang. Answering, it was Alphys. She proceeded to tell me about Mettaton’s secret switch. If this was part of another one of her tricks, I couldn’t be sure, but I’d keep going no matter what. Convincing Mettaton there was a mirror behind him was suspiciously easy. Flipping the switch, there was a flair of smoke, obscuring my view.  
“Oh, yes. If you wanted to see my new form, you just had to ask, Darling. I suppose as a reward, though, I will make your last moments absolutely fabulous,” a voice said.  
It sounded like Mettaton, but only in the way there was a computerized undertone? Otherwise it sounded more…deep and sultry. What did I just do…?  
Once the smoke cleared, there stood what I could only presume was Mettaton, who…wow. Just wow. I could feel my face heat up as I blushed uncontrollably.  
“What is it, Lyla? Am I too much /MAN/ for you?” he chuckled, “That okay, we’ll make this my best show yet!”  
Snapping out of it, I smirked, “So you want a show, huh? Fine! But what series finale will it be without a musical number?”  
“I’m listening,” Mettaton smirked back.  
Unplugging my phone from the headphones, I flipped to the appropriate song and tossed it to him.  
“That look good?” I asked as he caught it.  
Glancing, I saw his smirk widen as he simply nodded, plugging my phone into an AUX jack on him. The music began playing through the speaker on his chest. I slipped off my boots, putting them to the side.  
Centuries by Fall Out Boy began to play. It was the karaoke version, so the best singer would win.  
_Some legends are told_  
 _Some turn to dust or to gold_  
 _But you will remember me_  
 _Remember me for centuries_  
 _And just one mistake_  
 _Is all it will take_  
 _We'll go down in history_  
 _Remember me for centuries_  
I strutted towards Mettaton, hips swaying to the music. I discarded my jacket, throwing it safely to the side.  
_(Hey yeah, oh hey, hey yeah)_  
 _Remember me for centuries_  
Mettaton and I both struck a pose for a moment before I continued to sing alone.  
_Mummified my teenage dreams_  
 _No, it's nothing wrong with me_  
 _The kids are all wrong_  
 _The stories are off_  
 _Heavy metal broke my heart_  
Circling each other, we both sang, shooting glares at each other. We got closer and closer until we were right on top of each other. He grabbed my leg and brought it up to his hip. Damn he was tall. I was 6 feet tall, so he had to be at least 7.  
_Come on, come on and let me in_  
 _The bruises on your thighs like my fingerprints_  
 _And this is for tonight_  
 _I thought that you would feel_  
 _I never meant for you to fix yourself_  
I briefly caressed Mettaton’s cheek before shoving him away.  
_Some legends are told_  
 _Some turn to dust or to gold_  
 _But you will remember me_  
 _Remember me for centuries_  
 _And just one mistake_  
 _Is all it will take_  
 _We'll go down in history_  
 _Remember me for centuries_  
 _(Hey yeah, oh hey, hey yeah)_  
 _Remember me for centuries_  
This time Mettaton sang alone, taking my hand and spinning me, catching me.  
_And I can't stop 'til the whole world knows my name_  
 _'Cause I was only born inside my dreams_  
 _Until you die for me, as long as there is a light_  
 _My shadow's over you 'cause I am the opposite of amnesia_  
 _And you're a cherry blossom_  
 _You're about to bloom_  
 _You look so pretty, but you're gone so soon_  
I left his hands and we began to circle each other again, singing in perfect unison.  
_Some legends are told_  
 _Some turn to dust or to gold_  
 _But you will remember me_  
 _Remember me for centuries_  
 _And just one mistake_  
 _Is all it will take_  
 _We'll go down in history_  
 _Remember me for centuries_  
 _(Hey yeah, oh hey, hey yeah)_  
 _Remember me for centuries_  
Singing like my life depended on it, which it did, I decided it was time to break out my best moves.  
_We've been here forever_  
 _And here's the frozen proof_  
 _I could scream forever_  
 _We are the poisoned youth_  
Going full footloose on him, I continued to sing as I used the entire area, running, dancing, everything I knew, including my gymnastics training from when I was as young as Frisk.  
_Some legends are told_  
 _Some turn to dust or to gold_  
 _But you will remember me_  
 _Remember me for centuries_  
 _And just one mistake_  
 _Is all it will take_  
 _We'll go down in history_  
 _Remember me for centuries_  
 _(Hey yeah, oh hey, hey yeah)_  
Mettaton grabbed me, taking me in his arms and dipping me.  
_We'll go down in history (hey yeah)_  
 _Remember me for centuries_  
With the last line, he leaned in, pressing his lips against mine. Pulling away, he smirked that stupid cocky smirk.  
“Wh-what was that for?” I stammered, completely caught off guard for once.  
“Every duet as good as that should end in a kiss, yes?” he chuckled.  
“N-no! Well…no! Uh, j-just let me go,” I failed to find my words.  
Doing as I demanded, he let me go, bowing gracefully.  
“I’ve never met a star that shined as brightly as me,” he said, which I think was a compliment, even though he also complimented himself?  
“Thanks?”  
“And what’s best, my ratings are better than ever! Let’s take some callers before I leave for the surface,” Mettaton grinned.  
Rolling my eyes, I took my phone back from him as a phonecall was answered from the speaker on his chest.  
“Oh….Um, you answered. Oh…”  
“Hey! It’s Napstablook!” I laughed, walking over to put my boots back on and grab my jacket, “How you doin’ bro? Sorry I haven’t been able to jam with you lately.”  
“Oh…hey Lyla…it’s fine…Um, Mettaton…It’s been great to watch you,” Napstablook’s shy voice came through the speakers.  
“I’ll miss watching you….since this is the last episode and all…” he continued.  
“Bl-Blooky…” Mettaton said quietly, “…He hung up…”  
More calls began answering. One after another, monsters called in to gush about how much they’d miss Mettaton. I could see the conflict in his eyes.  
“Hey, Mettaton…despite what everyone thinks I’m trying to do, I’m actually not here to go home. Actually, when I first got here, my intention was to stop the breaking of the barrier. I thought this place would be good to raise my brother Frisk in, compared to the world above. But I’ve made friends and I’ve talked to many monsters. I changed my mind, Mettaton…I’m going to break the barrier.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, cool fact! Lyla's large chest is actually plot relevant, though not in this. In the second story I'm writing about her. Yep.


	6. Nightmare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lyla takes on the hardest battle of her life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, ever wonder what Lyla looks like? Go to MooseArt on tumblr. I have a rough doodle of her with Mettaton, Undyne, and Sans in the background. Also probably by the time anyone actually sees this I'll also have a less rough sketch of her posted? Yeah. But for a general description - straight hair past her shoulder blades, same hair color as Frisk, green eyes, has a slowly fading natural tan she initially got from being outdoors all the time. She's quite muscular but not overboard - a light six pack and when she flexes she has quite the muscle definition, but otherwise she's also rather lean. 6 feet tall, she usually wears leggings, skinny jeans, cargo pants, or her military fatigue pants with tank tops and sweaters. She has a naturally large chest that she finds to be inconvenient so she's usually wearing compression sports bras.

Alphys came in, Mettaton standing stunned at my proclamation.  
“Are you serious?” he asked.  
“Yes. I want Frisk to be happy and healthy and he can’t do that if he’s cramped up. My life has fallen apart on the surface, but I’ll do what I can to improve and be better! For Frisk!” I nodded, determination coursing through me.  
“B-but you’d have to sacrifice yourself to open the barrier!” Alphys gasped.  
“If it comes down to that, then fine,” I nodded, leaving the area before I could be talked out of my plan.  
After a long walk, I found myself outside the throne room. Many monsters from all around had come and told me the story of what happened…somehow, I knew what they were going to say. I remembered hearing tales about the monster that killed that child. It broke my heart hearing the true story. Taking a long, deep breath, I walked through the threshold. Before me was a large man who looked to be the same type of monster as Toriel. Biting my lip, things started adding up.  
“Excuse me,” I spoke up.  
The man, Asgore, turned, a kind smile upon his face which quickly faded at the site of me.  
“Oh…I would ask if you’d like some tea but…well, you know,” he said sadly.  
“I’ll be upfront with you, King Asgore…I don’t wish to fight you, or any monster. I…I don’t want to see any monsters or humans fighting ever again. War is not an answer to this issue! I will help you break the barrier, Asgore, but only if you can assure me that there will be no war,” I felt my voice shake.  
I knew that if this didn’t work…I knew one of us was going to die here tonight.  
“I’m sorry, young miss, but I cannot do that,” he shook his head solemnly, “Come with me…If you wish to take care of some unfinished business, though, please do…”  
Biting my lip, I followed him through the throne room, down a hall, and to the barrier.  
“I’m sorry,” he said, lowering his head before going after me with the trident he had hidden under his robes.  
Barely dodging, I grabbed my machete from my boot.  
“I’m sorry, too!” I shouted back, tears forming in my eyes.  
Quickly wiping them away, I lunged at Asgore. We fought back and forth, struggling to maintain a dominance over the other. I had to win…for Frisk! Just as I was ready to give the finishing blow, I looked at Asgore, pinned beneath my boot. Silently, I sheathed my knife and stepped off him. He looked up at me in shock.  
“There has to be a better way,” I spoke.  
After a long silence, Asgore nodded. Reaching out to shake my hand, though, he was suddenly surrounded by pellets that pierced into him, turning him to ash.  
“Flowey…YOU PIECE OF SHIT!” I screamed as the flower appeared, laughing maniacally.  
He went on a rant about how I was weak and how my determination had kept me going…And before I knew it, I was being attacked by what I could only describe as a nightmare from the deepest pits of hell. I felt myself die over and over again, but somehow I kept coming back to life…back to that same spot…the same hell. I fought and fought and fought, and finally I thought I had him, he seemed to be taking damage! But…but it wasn’t real. Being beaten to death over and over, that flower’s laugh seared into my mind. I almost wanted to die, but I couldn’t. Not now, not when I still had Frisk!  
“Go ahead! Call for your precious friends!” Flowey cackled.  
Looking around, I could feel tears form in my eyes. I had to survive, but how? It hurt so much, dying over and over again in this hell.  
I blinked, the pain had stopped. Looking up, I saw Flowey being ripped apart by the souls of the lost humans…Slowly standing, I watched as the flower was beaten to an inch of its life. The souls stopped, disappearing into the air. Stepping up to that putrid flower, I stared down at it.  
“So, are you going to kill me?” he laughed bitterly.  
“No,” I shook my head.  
Looking up, Flowey was in shock.  
“I won’t kill you. I’m not weak. I don’t kill needlessly like some coward. You deserve death, yes. But I won’t kill you,” I sneered.  
Flowey, wide eyed, vanished. Left in the dark abyss, I sat on the ground and took time to breath. Where I was, I had no idea. I was probably dead…but why wasn’t I in some sort of heaven…or hell? Why was I still aware? With only time, now, I chose to sleep.  
I found myself sleeping a lot in that dark void. Until one day, I got a phone call. I was able to answer but somehow unable to speak. So I listened. I listens to Sans and Undyne and Papyrus all tell me about what was happening. How happy Frisk was as the prince of the underground, after Toriel took her place as queen once again. I listened to them talk about how they still maintained hope. As they talked, I felt myself begin to cry. I didn’t want it to end like this. Yes, Frisk was happy, healthy, and safe…but a part of me wanted to die knowing all I could do was lay in the darkness.  
“Hey…” a voice.  
Looking up, I saw Flowey.  
“…There could be a chance for a different ending, you know…Um, go talk to Alphys. You two could make to be great friends,” he said, before vanishing again.  
I felt myself wake up. I was in the throne room, sleeping on a bed of yellow flowers. Shaking, I stood up and quickly left, going straight to talk to Alphys. On my way, I got a phone call from Undyne who needed a favor. Figuring the sidetrack wouldn’t hurt, I took it, stopping by Snowdin on my way. It took everything in my power not to hug Undyne and Papyrus the second I saw them.  
“Hey, can you deliver this letter to Alphys?” she asked.  
“Yeah, I was on my way there anyway,” I grinned happily, taking the letter before turning to Papyrus, “Hey, how’s my cat?”  
As if right on cue, Bones exited the house, trotting up to me and rubbing against my leg. With an ever widening grin I began giving as much love and affection as I could to my perfect kitty.  
“Has she been much trouble?” I asked.  
“Nah, your cat is an excellent hunter and is a lot more focused than the dogs I work with for the Royal Guard,” Undyne informed me.  
“Yes, Miss Fluffy-Tail has been an excellent companion!” Papyrus smiled.  
I cringed at the name.  
“Her name is Bones,” I corrected calmly, “Just Bones.”  
“Oh! I couldn’t quite remember so I, the Great Papyrus, gave her an equally as great temporary name!” Papyrus said, posing briefly.  
I couldn’t help but laugh. I missed him. I missed Undyne. I missed everyone.  
“I should get going,” I finally said as I calmed down, “Bones, stay good for Papyrus and Undyne and Sans…wherever Sans is.”  
With a happy purr, I left, taking the mysterious cloaked stranger’s boat back to Hotland. Once there, I slipped the letter under Alphys’ door. Sitting by the door, I listened in, wanting to give her a moment to read the letter.  
“I hope Undyne signed it,” I mused quietly.  
Suddenly, the door slid open. Waving lightly at the reptilian girl, Alphys began to act flustered, talking in circles like she tended to do.  
“Okay! Yes! I’ll go on a date with you!” she nodded.  
I felt the color drain from my face. Damnit Undyne!


	7. Finale

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lyla finds herself in several bad situations.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LAST CHAPTER! I decided to post it early owo Yep. I'd love to know what you all thought! And if you're a lover of Mettaton, keep an eye out for the sequel, which I haven't named yet. Final chapter includes the epilogue.

Before I knew it, I was at the garbage dump, on the most awkward and rather unwanted date of my life. I mostly stayed quiet, not wanting to make anything worse. Soon Alphys was gushing about Undyne and how she truly liked her and how I was essentially a pity date. Really, though? Really? I thanked my stars when Undyne showed up, but before I could point her towards Alphys, she was gone again.  
“Listen, if you’re so scared to talk to Undyne, then I guess we can, I dunno, talk it out?” I suggested.  
“Like a roleplay?” Alphys asked.  
“Uh, yeah, sure,” I nodded, “I’ll be Undyne.”  
Alphys, pretending I was Undyne, began to spill her soul, which was uncomfortable enough but when Undyne showed up, I felt like facing Flowey again would be easier. After a moment of talking, though, things were cleared up and Papyrus, who appeared from a pile of garbage, was suddenly training Alphys.  
“Hey, she was kidding, right? Anime is real…right?” Undyne asked, clearly distressed.  
“Uh, no. It’s not. There are anime based on real events and history, but it’s almost pure fiction,” I shook my head.  
Undyne was clearly crushed, but bounced back pretty easily before leaving. I was left alone in the garbage dump…again.  
“At least I’m not running for my life?” I said aloud to myself, wading through the water again.  
Finally out of the dump, I got a call from Papyrus, who requested I go see Alphys at her lab. Obliging his request, I made my way back to Hotland again. Entering the lab, I noticed Alphys wasn’t anywhere to be found. Instead, on the ground, I found a note. It was difficult to read but I got the general idea.  
“Shit, Alphys, what did you do?” I bit my lip, entering what I thought was the washroom, only to find myself in an elevator.  
As I waited patiently for the elevator to reach whatever floor I was being sent to, the elevator suddenly lost power and plummeted down. Screaming, I clutched to the walls, staying in the corner. The elevator, thank my stars and moon above, slowed down and finally came to a halt. The second the doors opened and I was guaranteed a clear path, I jumped out, terrified of what else might happen.  
“Fuck,” I groaned, my heart in my throat.  
I felt like I was going to vomit. Shakily, I made my way through the lab, reading Alphys’ notes left behind as I did so. I had to gather keys based on barely legible clues to unlock some shitty door to turn the power back on. Cursing heavily, I walked through what I could only equate to a horror movie. Looking in the sinks, hoping to find the key, I let out a small scream, falling back onto my butt. Three…THINGS crawled out of the sink! Frantically I tried to think of something to do. Grabbing my phone, I hoped that somehow Alphys had put another app on it that would help me. The creature, though, was gone by the time I looked back up. Standing, I saw the red key in the sink. Cursing again under my breath I took it into the room, fitting it into the slot, and quickly leaving. Things continued much like this, running into these creatures and somehow ending up doing something that ends up making them vanish. I found some solace in reading Alphys’ entries, though all they ended up making me do was become deeply sympathetic for the creatures, who I learned were formerly monsters who had died. Near tears, I plugged the final key into its appropriate slot. It crossed my mind to check out that room with the videos, but I opted out of it, wanting to get out of here and fast. Once in the power room, I flipped the switch, comforted a bit by the sounds of the working machine. Turning around, I felt that comfort fly right out of me as more of the creatures approached. Sure, I felt great remorse for them, but that didn’t change the fact they scared me senseless!  
“Hey! Leave her alone! I got you guys some food,” I heard Alphys.  
As Alphys approached me, the creatures retreated.  
“Alphys…I have never felt so happy to see you,” I said, my voice shaking as much as I was.  
Alphys began to apologize, explaining to me the situation and how she wasn’t going to run from her problems anymore. As she spoke, I felt my respect for her rise. I was glad to hear what she had to say. Leaving ahead of me with the Amalgamates, I took a moment to breathe before walking out of the room. Before I could leave the elevator, though, the doors slammed shut and I found myself hurtling up. When it stopped, I quickly exited before vines grew over and around the elevator, preventing me from leaving.  
“I guess I have no choice now,” I said, noticing I was in the castle.  
Making my way back to the barrier, I took a deep breath.  
“I can do this. Something has to have changed…right?” I bit my lip, entering.  
After the same short chat with Asgore, I got ready to fight, hand reaching for my machete once again. Before I could grab it, though, a magical attack knocked him back. Looking over, I saw Toriel, Frisk behind her.  
“Hey!” I grinned.  
Yes, things were changing.  
“Don’t you dare touch this wonderful young woman,” Toriel threatened Asgore.  
“Tori…” the king spoke.  
“Don’t you Tori me!” Toriel began lecturing him.  
Frisk ran up to me as she did so, the two of us hugging tightly.  
“Were you good for Toriel?” I asked, petting his head.  
He nodded, “Yeah.”  
“Good,” I smiled, kissing the top of his head.  
“Hey! What’s going on here?” Undyne walked in, followed my Alphys.  
Then Papyrus, as well as Sans. Everyone was here and there was no sign of that disgusting flower.  
“Wait, Papyrus, I hadn’t gotten the chance to call you! How did you know to gather everyone to come?” Alphys asked.  
“Oh, a flower told me to!” Papyrus grinned proudly.  
I felt my stomach tighten.  
Letting out a scream, I suddenly was wrapped in thorny vines with everyone except Frisk, who was somehow spared. Fading in and out of consciousness, I watched as Frisk was attacked over and over.  
“No! You leave him alone!” I shouted, somehow using my will to deflect the attacks against him with the others as we all faded in and out.  
Then everything was white. I was floating in a bright, white abyss. Weightless. Where was I? Wait…who was I?  
“Lyla!” a voice called.  
It was so familiar.  
“MOM!” the voice cried out louder.  
“Frisk!” my eyes shot open, “H-how do you know?”  
I was free, but that didn’t matter to me now.  
“I always knew,” he smiled weakly, tears rolling down his face.  
Standing behind him, machete in hand, I looked up, seeing the horrific figure. It wasn’t Flowey, though, no…it looked more like Toriel and Asgore? Whatever! That wasn’t what was important now!  
“Okay, Sweetie, let’s do this!” I said, determination flowing through me and my son.  
One after another we called for everyone, pulling them back to us.  
“ASRIEL DREEMURR!” Frisk shouted, calling for one more.  
Looking down at him then up at the being, I held onto Frisk’s shoulders and shouted with him for Asriel. Suddenly, in a flash, everything was white again, then black. Blinking, I sat up, looking around. Everyone was around me, also apparently knocked out. In the center of the room lay Frisk. Scrambling up to him, I took him in my arms.  
“Frisk, Sweetie, please, come back to me,” I sobbed.  
His eyes fluttered open and he weakly smiled up at me.  
“We did it, Mom,” he said, “the barrier is gone.”  
I felt hot tears roll down my cheeks as I held Frisk close to me.  
“Yeah, all thanks to you. You’re my hero,” I cried, petting him, “I love you, Frisk.”  
“I love you too, Mom.”  
.  
..  
…  
..  
.  
Back on the surface, I took responsibility as ambassador for the monsters. It was a busy job, but it gave me more fulfillment than performing and the military combined. With Undyne and Alphys (who finally got together), I got a nice house near the beach. They mostly occupied the top floor while Frisk and I had the bottom. Next door was Papyrus with Sans and his new girlfriend, Toriel. Speaking of Toriel, she now teaches monster history at the public school, where Asgore also works as a groundskeeper. Mettaton had made it big, though we kept in touch still, texting quite regularly. Things were finally right.  
We were all finally filled with determination.  
.  
..  
…  
..  
.  
“Hey, Mom, why did you keep me being your son a secret for so long?” Frisk walked up to me one day as I readied dinner.  
I saw this question coming for a long time, ever since we returned to the surface. I was just thankful Frisk waited a while to ask as it gave us both time to adjust to our new roles.  
“Uh, well to put it simply, your grandparents – my parents – were weird. And that’s putting it nicely,” I said, putting the lasagna into the oven and setting the timer, “C’mon, I’ll tell you in the living room.”  
Sitting down on the couch, Frisk in my lap, I began telling them the PG rated version of my past and how they came to be.  
“You see, when I got pregnant with you, I was only 13, 14 by the time you were born. My parents didn’t approve of this, so after you were born we moved to the village you grew up in,” I began, grabbing a brush and running it through Frisk’s ever lengthening brown hair.  
They had recently decided they didn’t want to be a boy or a girl, they were just Frisk. I had always felt that Frisk was nonbinary, but my parents never approved so I continued to call them by male pronouns until Frisk told me otherwise. They also decided they wanted to grow out their hair to be longer – so they could do cool things like braids was the reasoning.  
“Now, as you know, your grandparents didn’t really like me. They belittled me every chance they got. But with you, they saw an opportunity to raise a better child, so as soon as we moved to the village, I took on the role of your big sister and my parents became your parents. I hated it, to be honest, but there was little I could do at the time. That’s why I joined the Air Force, Sweetie, to try and build my own life so I could take you and ensure your happiness.”  
“Really?” Frisk looked up at me before straightening their head again.  
They were so smart and kind, it made me so proud.  
“Really,” I nodded as I began to braid their hair.  
“So everything you did was for me?” they asked.  
“Always,” I laughed lightly, “Now, can you answer a question for me?”  
“Yeah, sure, Mom,” Frisk agreed.  
“Why did you climb the mountain? I knew we’d played on it, but we never went that high?” I asked.  
“I don’t know? Something drew me there one day…” they shrugged.  
Tying the braid at the bottom with a blue ribbon, I thought for a moment.  
“Well, whatever the reason, I’m glad you did,” I smiled kissing the top of their head.  
“Me too,” Frisk grinned, jumping off my lap, “I’m gonna go play with Papyrus now!”  
“Be back before dinner,” I laughed as I watched them run out the door, Bones and Papyrus just outside waiting to play.  
Life was good.


End file.
